Ebay Fundraiser for Obsdian's Project Eternity Kickstarter

[Desslock]

Hey everyone,

Like many of you, I'm a long-time fan of traditional RPG gaming and the talented folks at Obsidian Entertainment, so I decided to do my own mini-fundraiser for the Project Eternity kickstarter: I've listed 20 classic "big box" games on Ebay, and I'm donating all proceeds raised from the sale of those games to the Project Eternity kickstarter (net of ebay fees).

I soft launched the first 4 games on the weekend and already have bids for over $300, so it should be a decent donation, although obviously I'm expecting there to be a lot of interest in some of the rarest, most collectible games listed, and little interest in some, but I'll guarantee at least a $500 donation regardless.

Bottom line: it's a chance for you to nab some old games if you're a collector, and help support traditional gaming and Project Eternity at the same time. Plus you make me engage in manual labor. It's WIN WIN WIN.

Here's a list of the games:
1. World of Warcraft: Collector's Edition (reg code has been used): http://www.ebay.ca/itm/251159555773?...84.m1555.l2649

2. World of WarCraft Burning Crusade: Collector's Edition (reg code NEW and unused): http://www.ebay.ca/itm/251159535389?...84.m1555.l2649

3. Icewind Dale 2: Mint Sealed (appropriate listing given the dev team overlap with Project Eternity): http://www.ebay.ca/itm/251159565080?...84.m1555.l2649

4. Star Wars Galaxies CE: yeah, you can't play this one. Still a great package if you're a collector. http://www.ebay.ca/itm/251159580573?...84.m1555.l2649

5 & 6: Tomb Raider & Tomb Raider 2 in their original triangle big boxes: http://www.ebay.ca/itm/251160697930?...84.m1555.l2649 & http://www.ebay.ca/itm/251160715551?...84.m1555.l2649

7. Ultima IX: Ascension Dragon Edition (Mint sealed). A game with a mixed legacy, to put it mildly, but it's one of the best collector's edition packages ever http://www.ebay.ca/itm/251160732092?...84.m1555.l2649

8. Guild Wars Collector's Edition (first game, not the new release): http://www.ebay.ca/itm/251160736975?...84.m1555.l2649

9. EverQuest II Collector's Edition (code used - MMO listings contain details where that's not the case): http://www.ebay.ca/itm/251160800993?...84.m1555.l2649

10. Grim Fandango big box, one of the greatest adventure games ever http://www.ebay.ca/itm/251160805046?...84.m1555.l2649

11. Blade Runner, big box: http://www.ebay.ca/itm/251160809691?...84.m1555.l2649

12 Starfleet Command: Orion Pirates - mint, big box. Star Trek games seem to resell well, and I had an unopened copy http://www.ebay.ca/itm/251160815061?...84.m1555.l2649

13. Nox, big box: http://www.ebay.ca/itm/251160817732?...84.m1555.l2649

14. Sea Dogs big box. I don't know why, but this is listed for a zillion dollars on ebay and seems really rare, so I included it: http://www.ebay.ca/itm/251160838622?...84.m1555.l2649

15. Half-life Opposing Forces expansion Big Box. http://www.ebay.ca/itm/251160839956?...84.m1555.l2649

16. FreeSpace 2 big box and manuals - no disks. Obviously source code available as freeware, listed by request since the original box is so rare: http://www.ebay.ca/itm/251160844154?...84.m1555.l2649

17. Dark Reign big box http://www.ebay.ca/itm/251160853008?...84.m1555.l2649 Nominated for "least likely" to sell.

18/19/20 (+21) A bunch of big boxes with Ultima Online expansions, including Third Dawn http://www.ebay.ca/itm/251160829335?...84.m1555.l2649, Renaissance (http://www.ebay.ca/itm/251160836561?....m1555.l2649); and a packaged deal with both Age of Shadows Plus Blackthorn's Revenge http://www.ebay.ca/itm/251160849807?...84.m1555.l2649

Obviously these games & packaging will primarily appeal to collectors, since they're old and you can get digital copies of many cheaply, but I know some gamers love these packages still, and appealing to nostalgia seemed appropriate for this fundraiser.

[Wolff]

A hearty Internet salute to you good sir!

[meeper]

If I hadn't recently found my big box version of Grim Fandango, I'd be all over that. Doh!

[KevinC]

That's a pretty cool thing to do, Desslock.

[Pogue Mahone]

I've been looking for a copy of Blade Runner and this indeed a good cause ... Maybe good enough to offset $37 shipping.

[Brian Rubin]

A hearty Internet salute to you good sir!

Yes, this. Totally want Orion Pirates too! :)

[Dave Markell]

Glad to see you resurfacing after months of absence from the forums, Desslock!

[Desslock]

One update - the shipping costs look pretty brutal to a lot of locations. In part, that's the reality of shipping from Canada, but the actual costs are probably still overstated - in some cases significantly.

So if you win an auction, request an invoice and message me on ebay and we can look at other shipping alternatives that might be cheaper. Ebay.ca only let me list Canada Post as a shipper, for instance, so UPS might be cheaper.

If you want to estimate how much less shipping might be to your location prior to making a bid, you can put in my location and your own at the websites of Canada Post and UPS to estimate various shipping options. Most regular games are under 500g, the WoW CEs are about 3.5 kg, the U9 Dragon Edition and some of the other CEs are between 2-3 KG. Estimate box size based upon ones you own or message me for exact measurements. I'm likely not going to be keen on really unreliable shipping methods like ground shipping to Europe (which is an actual option).

The measurements/weights I put in the ebay shipping calculator were pretty conservative too (didn't have anything other than a human-sized scale), so actual shipping costs will likely be a bit less regardless -- I'll refund any overpayments from actual shipping cost (plus a buck for shipping materials).

I'm under no illusion that this is going to raise a zillion dollars (which is why I've guaranteed a $500 donation regardless), but it's a chance to get some collectible games in the hands of people who might appreciate them, and raise some money to support traditional RPG gaming, a genre that I've gotten a lot of happy memories from over the past 30 years.

[Desslock]

Glad to see you resurfacing after months of absence from the forums, Desslock!

Thanks Dave - it's a drag we can't hook up for online poker anymore. Hope you get any money you still have trapped at Full Tilt back next month.

[Dave Markell]

Yeah, me too. It's not a lot, but we wants it, my precious, we wants it.

[Incendiary Lemon]

Bravo Zulu Desslock. That's a really splendid gesture.

[Desslock]

Yes, this. Totally want Orion Pirates too! :)

Are you the current bidder? If anyone here wins anything, let me know and I'll try to throw in an extra goodie if I have something appropriate.

[Brian Rubin]

Yup, if it's still simhead, that's me. :)

[Desslock]

Yup, if it's still simhead, that's me. :)

Cool, good luck. That game has quite a few watchers, so be wary of someone trying to snipe it at the last minute.

[Pogue Mahone]

Well, I threw down for Blade Runner, so let's see where that ends up.

[Brian Rubin]

Cool, good luck. That game has quite a few watchers, so be wary of someone trying to snipe it at the last minute.

Got it, thanks for doing this! :)

[Sinij]

Ultima Online expansions, including Third Dawn http://www.ebay.ca/itm/251160829335?...84.m1555.l2649,

Arrrgghh burn it, burn it with fire!!!

[Desslock]

Arrrgghh burn it, burn it with fire!!!

For some reason that game has 21 watchers, no bids. Maybe they just want to collectively hate at it. That expansion really was where I think UO went astray (I know other people think it was Renaissance, but I liked being able to avoid PvP).

I'll be pleasantly surprised if any of the UO kits sell, although they have some nice physical maps and other materials, like the comic book that came with Blackthorn and the huge player's guides that came with the releases up to Renaissance. Hard to imagine a manual like that being released now. But the limited number of people who would be interested probably have them from original release. I'm keeping the original UO boxed release, for my shelf with all the Ultima games.

Well, I threw down for Blade Runner, so let's see where that ends up.

Cool. You'll probably be good - there's only 3 watchers, one of whom is probably you. We can hopefully figure out a better deal for shipping post-auction too.

Over $600 in bids so far, and might get another $50-$100 more by the time it's ended, so it's already going to be a bigger donation for Project Eternity than I expected - thanks guys! Kinda sad I won't be able to keep the sealed Dragon Edition copy of Ultima 9 though, heh.

[unbongwah]

Arrived too late for the bidding - pity, would've like to make a go of the GW and maybe SWG CEs - but a (belated) hearty kudos to Dess for running this. :-)

[Desslock]

Final tally from the fundraiser for anyone curious - Sold 10 of the 20 games (the obvious ones) and managed to raise around $913 in proceeds from bids. I'm going to bump that up to a nice round $1000 to donate in full to Project Eternity - so a great success for a good cause. Packages should got out tomorrow if I've received your money.

Thanks to everyone who bid and/or helped to spread the word!

[jpinard]

Final tally from the fundraiser for anyone curious - Sold 10 of the 20 games (the obvious ones) and managed to raise around $913 in proceeds from bids. I'm going to bump that up to a nice round $1000 to donate in full to Project Eternity - so a great success for a good cause. Packages should got out tomorrow if I've received your money.

Thanks to everyone who bid and/or helped to spread the word!

Wow, that is awesome Desslock!

[soondifferent]

Final tally from the fundraiser for anyone curious - Sold 10 of the 20 games (the obvious ones) and managed to raise around $913 in proceeds from bids. I'm going to bump that up to a nice round $1000 to donate in full to Project Eternity - so a great success for a good cause. Packages should got out tomorrow if I've received your money.

Thanks to everyone who bid and/or helped to spread the word!

Worthy patronage of the arts, kudos!

[Brian Rubin]

So I got Star Trek: Starfleet Command: Orion Pirates today (thanks Desslock!!!) and I feel like an idiot. Why? When this came out, somehow didn't feel the need to get it at the time because I had already played Starfleet Command II, and figured I could get it later. Somehow over the intervening years, I SOMEHOW NEVER NOTICED that this wasn't a true expansion to SCII, but an expandalone. Here, THIS WHOLE TIME, I thought I'd need SCII to play it.

I cannot believe I somehow missed this.

That being the case, I am SUPER EXCITED I get to play this now. Thanks again Desslock!!!

[Desslock]

Awesome - I mentioned it was stand-alone in my listing too, but clearly you were blinded by your enthusiasm, heh. I think you'll like it for sure, based upon our similar tastes for such things.

Give me some fine feedback on ebay when you get the chance and I'll do the same.

Also, if anyone is interesting in buying a new WoW: Burning Crusade CE, let me know. I got burned by some clown buyer who won multiple auctions for the same item and burned everyone but the cheapest. I made up the difference and kept the Project Eternity donation at $1k, but will probably relist it and maybe some others.

Otherwise it's been a great experience talking to you guys and other collectors (guy who bought the sealed U9: Dragon Edition has an amazing collection of classic games in sealed packages), and I'm glad we raised 1k for the Project Eternity coffers.

[malkav11]

I wouldn't mind having WoW/BC/WOTLK CEs (well, just the digital bit for the original game, since I own the CE and only lost the account associated with the key), but I doubt I'm willing to pay enough to make me a worthwhile buyer, since I already own the actual game content involved in all three.

[Brian Rubin]

Awesome - I mentioned it was stand-alone in my listing too, but clearly you were blinded by your enthusiasm, heh. I think you'll like it for sure, based upon our similar tastes for such things.

Give me some fine feedback on ebay when you get the chance and I'll do the same.

Done! And yeah, somehow I was blinded to that. I've loved ALL the Starfleet Command games, and I've read this one is the best, so I am totally sure I'll like it, above and beyond our similar awesome tastes. :) Thanks again!

[Pogue Mahone]

Oh yeah, got my Blade Runner in the mail a couple days ago, you guys reminded me I need to leave feedback!

[Desslock]

Great, that means everyone now has their packages. Thanks again, all.